When I wake up, I focus out, hoping to figure out who all I'll have to encounter before getting to the kitchen. Not hearing anyone, I decide I can brave the journey. I need to eat something. I get my food without incident and take the elevator to the roof. When I get there though, Kate's pacing around anxiously.
"Oh, I'm sorry." I turn to head back downstairs but she stops me.
"No you're fine. I'm just trying to come up with a plan." She gestures to a bench near us, and I sit down with my bagel.
"Maybe take a break from the pacing?" I pat the seat next to me and she takes it. "Val's a tough nut to crack." I take a bite of my bagel and she puts her head in her hands.
"It's not just her. Johnny has some pretty aggressive fans."
"So not everyone was as happy as I was to hear the news?" I tease. She shakes her head at me. We sit in silence, her anxiety palpable. After I'm done eating, we head toward the elevator, but I sense something malicious. I look over to see a sniper laser on Kate's back and roughly pull her behind the wall, shielding her with my body as best I can.
"What-"
"There's a sniper." I look around the corner quickly, trying to gauge where the shooter is. "Southwest corner."
"Y/n," I glance back at her, and her eyes are shimmering. "Protecting me again?"
"I'll always protect you, Kate," I admit, looking up at her. My heart is racing faster than it has in years. I look around the corner again, hoping I can calm myself down a bit. "Do you have an earpiece in?' I ask when I pull my head back to safety.
"No, and I left my phone inside so I wouldn't be distracted." She pinches the bridge of her nose. "So much for being safe at the tower."
"Okay, well, looks like you're using me as a human shield until we can open the door."
"What? No!" Kate grips my arms so I don't move from my position.
"They weren't aiming at me." I raise a brow at her.
"What if they shoot through you to hit me?" She asks, not loosening her grip at all.
"You think we can't get the door open fast enough or something? They'll have to make that decision, and by the time they decide, we'll be blocked by the door," I reason.
"I hope you're right." She releases me, and just when I'm about to round the corner, the door opens, and I hear Quint's voice.
"Kate? there's something weird going on downtown-"
"Hold the door!" I shout, and pull Kate into me, then push her through the open doorway. A shot ricochets off of the brick just above my head as I follow her through, and the door shuts behind me, Quint looking at us with the most confused expression I've ever seen on him. He hits the button for the living floor, and we start moving. I breathe out an explanation. "Sniper."
"Oh fuck."
"Y/N!" Kate slaps my arm. "You could have been killed!"
"You wanted to just wait until they were gone? If they're who I think they are, that isn't going to happen anytime soon." I give her a pointed look.
"Don't put yourself in danger like that again," she commands, and I roll my eyes.
"You know the polite thing to do would be to thank me for saving you," I tease, and wrap an arm around Quint. "Now, tell us about this weird thing downtown, Q." The elevator doors open and we all step out.
"There seems to be some sort of announcement in the works. There's a huge crowd gathered by a stage in the square and if I'm right, which I usually am, then Val's about to make her vendetta public." Okay, I've missed a lot then.
"As in she's just going to openly declare war on the Avengers?" I ask, shocked.
"Wouldn't be the first time someone did. We aren't beholden to anyone at the moment. None of us signed the Accords, nobody asked us to. She's made it clear she wants to get rid of us. Turning the public against us would be a great way to startt." The doors open, and I turn to Kate.
"How does Val think she can turn the public against you that fast?"
"By telling them about my past." Yelena appears around the corner. "I'm officially part of the team now, she'll tell them about my work in the Red Room." Shit.
"She didn't do that to me when I was seen on missions," I point out.
"She had no reason to. Now, she knows I'm alive."
"Didn't Natasha tell everyone about her past?" I ask, trying to find a flaw in the plan.
"Nat told people willingly. Yelena's probably about to be outed," Kate points out.
"Fuck," I breathe. "How do we combat this? Tell the world about the chemical subjugation? That sounds traumatic."
"It might be our only option," Kate admits, and I see her share a look with Yelena. I feel a pang in my chest at the realization that I was gone for so much. I'm trying to think of some way to help when America comes running down the hall. She skids to a stop in front of Kate and flaps her hands around as she talks.
"It's happening. Apparently there's a bunch of protesters headed this way now! What do you want us to do?" She looks frantically between Kate and Yelena. If it were me, I'd hold a press conference right now, although there is the threat of that sniper. Kate takes a deep breath before thinking aloud.
"We did at least avert part of her plan. If that attempt on the roof would have worked, I'd be dead, and as the oldest and most experienced, Yelena would naturally take command. Then, she'd attack her character. Now, we just have the second part to contend with, and I sure as hell won't let her slander you." Kate takes Yelena's hand reassuringly. "America, can you get Cassie and Johnny here?" America nods and uses her sling ring to find the other two and portal them here. I've never seen her use it before, and it's honestly really cool. Points to Dr. Strange.
"Kate, she didn't tell any lies. I did all of those things," Yelena takes her hand away and looks at me. "I've done worse, too."
"But you were indoctrinated and chemically subjugated from a young age!" Kate gives us both a look as if to say 'duh'. "You both were!"
"And that means we shouldn't answer for our crimes?" I ask, maintaining eye contact with Yelena. "That'll be the argument." An understanding passes between the two of us. Nothing will make us feel less guilty for what we've done. Maybe that's punishment enough when we didn't have control of ourselves, but maybe not. We both still took private contracts after being in the Red Room. All we know is spying and killing. We can't be trusted to advocate for ourselves.
"You guys look like you agree with that argument," Kate says suspiciously.
"They do," Quint states bluntly. Fucking telepathy. "You think that every time I tell someone what you're thinking, y/n," he adds, attempting to smirk at me, but the mood is a bit too somber.
"So you guys want me to just throw you to the wolves?" Kate's eyes are pleading.
"No, Kate. It isn't about me, first off. Secondly, Yelena doesn't deserve to have her past dragged out like this. No one does. Regardless of if she thinks she does or not." I give Yelena a pointed look, then turn back to Kate. "You and I both know she doesn't."
"Then how should we go about this?" Cassie asks. If you advocate for her, your connection being your past will come up, then it'll look like you're advocating for yourself as much as her. If Kate does, people will just assume it's because she's in love with Yelena." The second it's out of her mouth, Kate turns white as a sheet. She glances at her and adds. "We all know. It's obvious."
